


Stay

by dearsam



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alpha Hotch, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bonding, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, omega reid, this will be happy and fluffy I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-18 08:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3563189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearsam/pseuds/dearsam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hotch finds a nesting Reid underneath his desk one weekend, he knows that things are about to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Weekend Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [How to Get Along With an Omega (If you must)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3444395) by [sarahyellow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahyellow/pseuds/sarahyellow). 



> Well, hello there.   
> I'm currently on a bit of a binge writing trip, or so it seems.   
> Obviously the rating is for later chapters...  
> Well, here we are, you, me and the Omegaverse. Please let me know what you think.  
> And thanks to sarahyellow and her wonderful story for making me want to delve into this nice AU!

Aaron let out a soft curse when he looked at his watch as he got out of the elevator. Getting to the office at 6.30 am to get a head start on those reports didn’t seem like that good an idea anymore now. He stopped in the small kitchenette and made himself a coffee before he continued. It hit him as soon as he switched the light in his office on, and it made him stop and sniff the air curiously. There was a distinct smell of an Omega in heat in the air, paired with a hint of distress. Still not moving, Hotch racked his brains, trying to remember when he last had had an Omega in his office long enough for the scent to linger like that. His shoulders relaxed a bit when he remember that there had been a number of applicants there for interviews over the last couple of days. It was against one of the more recent laws to demand of anyone to reveal their secondary gender unless they chose to do so, so there was every chance that at least one of the applicants had been an Omega in the early stages of heat. It didn’t occur to him just then that it would have been absolutely impossible for him to tell if the Omega had been in distress or not had it just been a random stranger. But as it was, Hotch’s mind was still befuddled with the remnants of sleep. He didn’t hear the sound of a soft intake of breath until he was almost around his desk. Dropping his bag, he grabbed his weapon, mind spinning with possibilities of what could have happened. He secured the room, turning around himself to make sure that there was no one behind the door or one of the bookshelves. Furrowing his brow in confusion, the agent continued to look around. He had heard something, there was no doubt about that. There, again. As quietly as he could, he walked the rest of the way around his desk. 

Immediately his anxious expression and clenched jaw eased into something that was much softer. Almost tender, even. Securing his gun, he put it down on the table before he pulled his chair back and crouched down. Right there, under his desk, amidst a nest of blankets and pillows, he found a sleeping Spencer Reid. Seeing the nest – pillows carefully tucked into the corners and the back of the desk to prevent him from hurting himself in case of sudden movements, and blankets rolled up to create a makeshift mattress- made a very primal part of the Alpha want to purr in approval. Good Omega. Beautiful nest. Well done, my mate.   
Except that, well, Spencer wasn’t his mate. Which begged the question as to why he was currently curled up under Hotch’s desk, at 6.46 am on a Saturday morning. Aaron forced to inch back a little. Despite the contentedly purring Alpha within him, he knew that it wasn’t a good sign to find Reid like this with his heat fast approaching. “Reid. Reid, wake up.” The younger man stirred but didn’t wake up. “Spencer.” Aaron really wanted to avoid having to touch him, what with Reid’s crush on him that he had been harbouring for a few years now, but by the looks of it he wasn’t about to wake up. One hand came to rest on a slender shoulder. “Spencer.” A part of him wanted to add a petname, something hideous like sweetheart or darling, but what was he, a hormonal teenager going through a heat with an Omega for the very first time? Certainly not. He rubbed his thumb over the Omega’s shoulder until he finally woke up with a start. 

He allowed the young Doctor a moment of panic and embarrassment. “H-Hotch. It’s Saturday. What are you doing here?” Aaron frowned a little. “I have every reason to ask you the exact same question. Reid… what are you doing here?” The young agent sat up and ducked his head so he wouldn’t hit it against the underside of the desk, hands curling into fists to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Sleeping?” He offered in an anxious tone. Hotch sat back and frowned with a fond expression. “Spencer, your heat is coming on… you should be at home, nesting…” His eyes lingered on the nest he had built here and stopped himself before any words of praise could tumble from his lips. His gaze was drawn to the blanket Reid was still clutching to his chest. It only took him another second or so to make the connection. This was the blanket that he used when he slept in the office. It didn’t happen as often anymore as it used to, but from time to time he still crashed on the sofa here. And this blanket was usually kept in the set of drawer next to the door, almost but not quite within reach of the sofa. He kept it in the bottom drawer, with a few pillows and a spare blanket. Which meant that all of these items had his scent clinging to them. Christ. The realisation drew a long sigh from him. “Spencer, did you have trouble with that Alpha from your building again?” 

He wanted, and needed, to offer them both an explanation that had as little to do with feelings that they might or might not have as possible. Just a day before Reid’s heat would set in properly was not a good time for them to deal with this. There needed to be a simple, justifiable reason for all this, for both their sakes. It took the younger man a while until he managed to force a response out. “Ah, yeah. Exactly. I wanted to feel… safe.” Aaron knelt there behind his desk, eyes trained on Spencer, and tried not to let himself feel too pleased about the fact that the Omega had come there, to his office to feel safe. Of course he wasn’t telling the entire truth, but that didn’t have to mean his words were a lie, right? Aaron blinked once, twice and finally chuckled fondly. “You could have taken the sofa.” He rose to his feet and waited for Reid to follow his example. “Hmm. Like confined spaces for nesting when I’m not at home.” And the scent would have been more prominent there. The other man didn’t need to voice that for the other to understand. Hotch took a few steps back to give him space, even though he really wanted to do the very opposite. Spencer looked adorable. He kept the blanket he had been holding on to wrapped around himself, and when he thought that Aaron wasn’t paying attention, he lifted a corner of it enough to inhale its scent deeply. 

The other man decided to do the only decent thing and pretended not to have noticed anything. “Sit down, Spencer,” he waved at the sofa as he went over to grab one of the glasses he kept in his cabinet and poured him some water. “Here. You need to keep hydrated.” This concern was more natural than anything else for him. Alphas were nurturing by nature, so it was only logical that he wanted to take care of Reid. If this had anything to do with the other sensations that were currently running through him remained to be seen, but not now. “How about this,” he suggested. “Let me drive you home. I’ll make sure that you have everything you need and that you’re locked in properly before I leave. Okay?”   
He couldn’t even remember the last time Reid had looked so miserable and upset. “Okay.” Sure, he had given his consent, but Aaron’s instincts screamed at him nevertheless. “Come on,” he encouraged Reid. “Let’s get you home and settled. I can tell that you’re beginning to feel uncomfortable.” It was far too easy to tell himself that, as he got to his feet and stretched his hand out, it was only to comfort Spencer. And if the Omega clung on to him with a bit of desperation, so be it.   
They drove back to Reid’s in an almost painfully awkward silence. Hotch knew that he should try to diffuse the situation, he didn’t want the younger man to go into heat distressed after all, but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him that wouldn’t upset him even more. And even though Reid hadn’t said more than half a sentence to him, it was obvious that he had upset him enough already. Under different circumstances the Unit Chief would have smiled when he heard both of them let out a sigh of relief when he pulled the car over, but not today. 

“Spencer,” he said carefully when the other man had let him into his apartment. His very, very tidy apartment, he couldn’t help but notice. It was rather typical, just before a heat. “Spencer,” he began again. “You could have gone to Garcia. Or Emily. Why did you come to my office?”   
Reid stood at the window, arms wrapped around himself. When he glanced back over his shoulder, his face was so open, so vulnerable. Instead of answering his question, he turned around and regarded Hotch with an intense look for a minute. “You could stay,” he suggested. “It’s quite common, really, and it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. It doesn’t have to, anyway. As a matter of fact 68.7% of heats are spent with an unbonded stranger.” The man continued to babble on, dumping facts on Hotch as quickly as he could. The Alpha made his way over to the nervous man slowly. “Reid, shush. I understand that you don’t want to spend another heat alone, but I can’t stay, you know that.” The hurt on Spencer’s face was almost too much to bear. “More like won’t.” 

Hotch wanted to drop the subject, but instead he slipped out of his suit jacket and handed it to a very confused Reid. “No. I can’t. Take it. I want you to keep it.” At least it would provide him with a scent. While that wasn’t much, it was something. “I mean it, it’s yours. I won’t ask you to give it back when you come back to work.” The thought amused him greatly – Hotch was sure that he didn’t want to know what would happen to his jacket. “And if this is more than a longing for someone, anyone, to see you through your heat, we can sit down and talk about this properly afterwards. But I’m not going to risk hurting you by rushing into something that we have never talked about.” The hurt didn’t leave his face completely, but at least Reid looked a little hopeful as well now. 

He took a few moments to check that the Omega had enough water and snacks, and that everything would be within reach for him. “I’ll check in with you on Thursday,” Aaron explained, stopping at the door. The worst should be over by then. “Make sure you lock up properly. I’ll stay outside for a minute. And Spencer?” He regarded the younger man with a fond smile. “That was a beautiful nest you built back at the office.” He pulled the door closed behind himself before he could consider what his words would do – to both of them.


	2. Unbonded mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finishing a quick case, Hotch hurries back to make sure that Reid has everything he needs for the last part of his heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, wow! I did not expect so many people to like the story. I'm really chuffed, thanks for taking the time to read this. 
> 
> I told you it'd be fluffy and nice.

Hotch found himself worrying about Spencer all weekend. With two Omegas on the team, that was not news to him – but the intensity was. When he made pancakes for Jack on Sunday morning, he was so lost to his own thoughts that it took his son elbowing him until he noticed that he’d burned their breakfast. On Monday he barricaded himself into his office, trying to get through some paperwork, but instead he just pushed his chair back, propped his arms onto his knees and stared at the space beneath his desk where he had found Reid two days earlier. And so it continued. His mind was constantly wandering and worrying… as if that would do him any good.

By Wednesday he was itching to make contact but knew that it would be no good. And then a case came along. Hotch was angry and relieved at the same time. After a certain amount of time without a case, the team always went a bit mad, so it was good to get everyone back on a case. But at the same time he had really hoped to be there for the last few days of Spencer’s heat. Well, not _there_ there, as in physically present in the man’s apartment. (Although, he had to admit, the more he thought about _that_ possibility, the more he liked the idea of making his way over to the younger man on Friday.) But he had planned to maybe leave some food in front of his door… or something.   
Instead he was on the jet 20 minutes later, next to Rossi who gave him one of his Looks. He knew something was off, but Aaron just shook his head. As long as he himself had no idea where all this was going, he wasn’t willing to share.

“Anyone heard from Spencer?” JJ piped up softly. “He will be back on Monday, I believe,” Hotch replied without looking up from his file. “Let’s get started, people. What have we got?” As they discussed the case, it became painfully obvious that Reid would have been extremely helpful to have around. Obviously he always was, much like every other member of their team, but now they had an awkward, high functioning teenager on their hands. Hotch forced himself to concentrate on their task. No matter how much he missed their youngest team member –and there was no denying that he did in fact miss him-, his pining wouldn’t solve this case.   
  
They got lucky, in the end. Their suspect, a 16- year old with an IQ of 148, had gotten sloppy, feeling too confident for his own good, and eventually they’d found him in a cabin that belonged to his grandparents. It was a luxurious case, all things considered. They’d arrived on Wednesday, and left Friday morning, just in time for the weekend. Before they had touched ground in Quantico, Hotch had his phone out. He had sent Spencer a few texts and even left a voicemail that had probably been the most awkward minute of his existence, but he hadn’t heard back from him until earlier this morning.   
  
_Tired. Not feeling well. You back?_

Six words. That was all it took to make Hotch growl with concern. The team had given him a long, worried look, but he had ignored them all. It never occurred to the man that it was perfectly normal for an Omega to ‘not feel well’ after almost a week of heat and the frenzy that it brought. As far as the Unit Chief was concerned Spencer needed to be looked after. That was the excuse he had been waiting for all week, really.

“I’ll need to take the rest of the day off,” he said to Rossi when they drove back to headquarters. “I’ll send my report in before Monday.” Grabbing his go-bag, he turned around to the rest of the team. “A stop profiling me, all of you.” Hotch managed a smirk and got out of the car. Jack was still with Jess, at least for today. With a plan in mind, he drove home.

An hour later, Hotch stood in his kitchen, checking the oven while he pressed his phone against his ear, waiting for Jess to get Jack for him. “Hey, buddy,” he laughed at his son’s excitement. “Listen, we caught the bad guy, but I still have a few things to take care of. I’ll pick you up tonight, okay?” It was nice to lose himself to Jack’s excited talk about the things he’d done while Aaron had been away, and how glad he was to have him back. Hotch was happy to let his son ramble on for a minute or two while he prepared a few boxes with food for Reid. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, he told himself repeatedly. It was okay for him to stand here for an hour and a half, cooking various dishes for an Omega that, while he was his friend and colleague, wasn’t his mate. And it wasn’t as pathetic as it made him feel.

He wasn’t so sure about that last one anymore as he approached Reid’s flat with a box full of food in his arms. He knocked and took two steps back. It took a few minutes before he could hear anything. A groan, and another one. Aaron took another step back. Technically, Spencer’s heat wasn’t over yet, so maybe this was a bad idea. And just because he couldn’t rein his Alpha in! There was no time for second guessing, as the Omega chose that moment to open the door. Spencer leaned heavily against the door, eyes half closed. “Food?” He croaked, sniffing the air. Aaron chuckled and nodded. “Yes. I’ve got food. Will you let me in so I can put it into the kitchen for you?”

Hotch had seen Reid in distress, in delight, in sorrow – but never like this, with his guards let down completely. He smiled at the tousled hair and how he stood there seemingly boneless, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. “Come in.” Aaron frowned when he saw how the other man went back inside on shaking legs. “Go back to bed,” he muttered on his way to the kitchen. “I’ll bring you something to eat.” Reid just stood in the door to his kitchen and rubbed one hand over his neck. When the Alpha turned around to put some food on a plate for him, he stilled as he felt slim arms wrap around his waist. A second later he pushed himself between Hotch and the counter, nose tucked against the Alpha’s neck. Hotch’s heart stopped. It was one thing to allow himself to care for an Omega, but it was a whole different thing to have his arms full of warm, compliant, sweet-smelling, post-heat-sleepy Omega. Who was currently trying to scent him, his mind supplied helpfully. Hotch allowed it for a few minutes, simply because he didn’t find it in himself to push him away. Not that he would have wanted to do that in the first place. His suggestion for Spencer to go back to bed was met with a whine. “Go ahead. I’ll bring you something to eat.” It took some more words of encouragement, but in the end Spence gave in and slowly went back to his bedroom that, Hotch realised a little too late, would most likely still be a nest. He always thought that a nest was a very intimate thing; a place that was meant to keep an Omega, and later an entire family, safe and comfortable.

But all in all, this last part of the heat was very pleasant. It was what a pregnancy should be all about – getting lots of rest and letting your mate take care of you. _Not his mate_ , Hotch reminded himself yet again. Because he wasn’t. The certainty of not wanting to be Spencer’s mate either was slowly disappearing, however. Because, really, honestly… He grabbed the tray and scoffed at himself. Maybe they should talk this through together before he made any decisions.

It only took the Omega half a second to wrap his arms around Aaron’s waist after the Alpha had put the tray down on the nightstand. Admittedly, it felt amazing. And why would it not? This was what their biology was all about, finding a mate and providing for them. Again, the word mate had sprung to mind a little too quickly. He ran his fingers through Reid’s hair and looked around the room. There was a mattress on either side of the bed, with countless blankets and pillows all over them. It looked… perfect. Comfortable and safe. Just seeing it pulled a soft growl from him, and before Hotch could get a hold of himself, he muttered, “Well done. You built a lovely nest for yourself.”

It was when Spencer rubbed his cheek against his side that he realised he was fighting a battle that he had already lost. Of course he was going to stay. So, when he was pulled forward, he followed easily, crawling onto the mattress with ease. “You really need to eat, Spence. I made you some soup. I figured you might not be in the mood for anything more substantial than that yet…” Hotch settled himself against the wall and reached for the tray. It didn’t bother him in the least when Reid leaned against him – he welcomed it, actually. A part of him, a very primitive and instinctive part, wanted to feed the man. It took quite some willpower for him to hand the bowl to Spencer. “Not hungry,” the man stated petulantly. “You lived off of nothing more than energy bars and water for the last five days. And technically this is only flavoured water, so it’s not much of a difference.” It was obvious that his argument did nothing for the young genius. Hotch decided that now was as good a time as any for playing unfair. “Please?” He added as he pressed a kiss to his temple.

“Not fair.” And just like that, Reid began to eat. Well, after he had caught his breath and rubbed his cheek extensively against the Alpha’s shoulder. “Can you tell me about the case?” Hotch shook his head. “No, Spencer. Right now your body is trying to prepare itself for a pregnancy, no matter if you actually did conceive or not.” The unit chief smiled a bit at the Omega’s hastened reassurance of “I’m not” and pretended not to feel any relief about that. “That means that your hormones are a little way off for a day or two. You don’t need to hear about a case right now.” When Reid answered with a small growl, Hotch reached for his wrist and pinched it sharply. Without realising it, he hadn’t just slipped into typical Alpha behaviour, but typical _mated_ Alpha behaviour. “I’m… sorry.” He rubbed the spot he had pinched and shook his head. “I just don’t feel comfortable telling you about something that I know would upset you right now. Besides, you are exhausted. Just try to finish the soup and get some rest.”   
  
But sleep seemed to be the last thing on Reid’s mind. “You promised we would talk about this. Are we talking about this?” Aaron buried his nose in the Omega’s hair - because, honestly, the damage was done, wasn’t it? -  and sighed. “No. Not right now. Right now you are eating, and then you’ll sleep. And tomorrow we can talk. Spence, you need to recover first, stop pushing yourself like this.” Hotch frowned as he saw how the other’s hands were shaking as he tried to hold the bowl steady. Without further ado, Hotch took the bowl, giving in to his earlier urges, and began to feed him. “I’m not trying to make excuses, Spence. But let me see to you first, please.” He was very good at keeping his instincts in check, normally. Normally didn’t apply to any situation that involved Dr Spencer Reid anymore, apparently. If anyone would find out about this, about him sitting in the Omega’s nest and feeding him… Well, actually it wouldn’t even matter to him. Not now, not with his heart racing like that every time Spencer leaned his head against Aaron’s shoulder to rest for a moment, or how natural it had seemed to get him back in line. He would never have dared to do that outside of a heat, so there was that.

He was pulled from his reverie when he noticed that the Omega tried to refuse the next spoonful of soup. “Two more,” Aaron coaxed in a tone that was the perfect combination of authoritative and gentle. “There you go, well done.” Reid purred, a sound so rich that it made the Alpha sigh. “Curl up. You need to sleep.” The Omega did just that, to the letter. He curled up and pressed his head against Hotch’s chest. With everything that he had allowed so far, there was no way he could forbid this now, even if he were inclined to do so. As luck would have it, he wasn’t. “I’ll stay.” Spencer’s eyes watched him anxiously. “I mean it, I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. Thanks again for taking the time to join me on this journey :)


	3. Dinner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God. OH MY GOD. You cannot imagine how hard it was to get this chapter out! God, I feel so guilty for making all of you lovely people wait all this time. I finally managed to finish it today, so here you go! 
> 
> I wanted to address a couple of things that some of you brought up in the comments first, though. 
> 
> There will definitely be mpreg in this story, and I apologise for not having tagged it before. I just see it as part of the dynamics, and actually I find it quite interesting to delve into the possibilities of a pregnant Reid, and how that can be combined as realistically as possible with his character. Again, sorry for not tagging it. 
> 
> Also, because Leopards_Bane was kind enough to mention it, I tried to break this chapter up into smaller paragraphs for your reading convenience. I'll just say that I'm not a fan of those single lines that most stories on here consist of, so that's why I tried to make the paragraphs a little longer. Thanks for the hint though, I really appreciate comments like that!
> 
> Having said all that, I am still a bit overwhelmed with the response this story has been getting. I'm not used to publishing my stories, or any of my written work for that matter, so any and all kind of feedback is very precious to me.   
> Now that I survived writers' block, I hope to be back with the next chapter rather soon!

It was a strange sensation to have a sleeping Omega in his arms again. Hotch had to admit to himself that this was pure indulgence on his part – a tiny voice inside his head kept reminding him that Spencer was at his most vulnerable right now, and he was taking advantage of that. Well, not really, though. Or was he? Hotch frowned at his own thoughts and shook his head. No. No promises had been made. Reid was clear enough now to understand that they would have to talk about things before anything else happened.

Satisfied with the outcome of his internal struggle, Aaron buried his nose in the sleeping man’s hair and inhaled his scent deeply. There was the lingering scent of heat, sure, but mostly it reminded him of comfort and affection (not love, it couldn’t be love yet) and that typical Spencer combination of herbs and books. It was perfect. As Reid finally slipped into unconsciousness, the silence settled around them like a warm, comforting blanket.

While his hands gently moved through Spencer’s hair and over his back, Hotch let his mind wander. Losing Haley had been the worst thing that had ever happened to him, of course, but he was ready for another mate, especially after his relationship with Beth. His eyes rested on the Omega’s face, just because he finally could look at him now. He had always been handsome to Hotch, but never more so than right then. He was completely relaxed, getting the rest he needed in order to restore his energy.

While Spencer slept through the next few hours, Hotch played out every possible scenario that his being there could lead to. He was in the middle of imagining how the team’s dynamic would change if they were to bond (although how he had gotten from considering to take Spencer out on a date, to bonding with him, he didn’t quite know) when the Omega in question began to move in his arms. The part of him that really liked how fiercely loyal he had always been wanted to be upset at the surprise on Reid’s face when he realised that he had kept his promise. In the end he was much too pleased to see a slow smile make its way onto Reid’s face.

“You stayed,” the younger man said as he leaned his cheek against his shoulder. “That’s nice. I’m not used to waking up with someone around.” Hotch knew that now was the perfect time to pull back a little, just to get some distance between them. Instead he pulled Reid closer. “That would have sent you straight into a Drop, Spence. Anyway, I wanted to stay.”

Spencer seemed to feel the need to consider his words for a while, and Aaron was only too happy to sit with him in silence. Despite it all –the fact that as Reid’s boss, he really should be nowhere near his flat, or how, at the same time, he refused to let go of the man even now that he was awake again-, Aaron leaned down and pressed a very chaste kiss to the younger man’s curls. “I don’t know what this is, or what it could be, Spence.”

He frowned when Reid winced at his words. “No, listen. I mean – if I had wanted something easy, a quick fix, I would have taken you up on that offer you made me by nesting in my office.” And he had wanted to. By God, he really had. “But you are worth more than that.” He realised now that there was no avoiding the outcome he had dreaded so much. Aaron had meant to dodge the attachment that came with the last few days of a heat, but looking down at himself, Spencer wrapped around him, he had to admit to himself that that was pretty much a lost cause now. He ran his fingers over the Omega’s neck.

“So, you didn’t want to see me through my heat,” Reid remarked in a soft tone. “But you are here now. I still don’t understand. Maybe it’s just because I’m quite beside myself with exhaustion, but still… What is all this about, Aaron?” It was a fair question, of course. And it deserved a decent answer.

“I’m conservative… well, sort of. What I mean is that I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to do something out of entirely selfish reasons.” Even to his own ears this sounded like nonsense. ”You’re in your early thirties,” he explained instead. “If we had let this happen, there is every chance that you would be pregnant by now.” A soft whimper made him stop. “Why do you have to make that sound like something awful?” Aaron was quick to shake his head. “God, no. It’s not, of course it’s nothing bad. I was just saying that… If you do want this, then the option will still be there when your next heat hits. I just didn’t want to jump it on you, quite literally.”

Spencer tilted his head back and watched him. “I do want children, you know.” Hotch smiled and ruffled his hair fondly. “And you’ll make a great parent. But there are laws in place to make sure that you can plan ahead. I just…” He groaned. “This is coming out all wrong. I didn’t even come here to talk to you about this. I came to ask you out, as a matter of fact.” He was startled by Reid’s soft laugh. “Aaron, you’re doing a pretty poor job of that.”

Swallowing his own embarrassment down, the unit chief nodded. “I’m aware, yes. I wasn’t expecting to get all protective of you.” Again, this had come out sounding all sorts of wrong. Hotch felt like hitting his head against the wall behind him. Instead of making the whole situation worse by saying anything else, Aaron leaned forward and pressed his lips against Spencer’s for a split second. That was enough, he noted almost smugly, because it earned him the loveliest gasp from the younger agent.   
“Dinner,” he reiterated as he held a single finger to Reid’s lips in order to keep him from pressing closer, “You and me. In a few days, when you’re feeling better. Yes?”

Spencer watched him with wide eyes and nodded almost frantically. Something about this reaction bothered Hotch. He shook his head gently. He didn’t want Reid to agree to this just because he felt desperate right now. “Think about it again,” he asked. And this time, the man did. Spencer closed his eyes and drew back a fraction; probably to get away from the Alpha’s scent. That was impossible, of course, but heat wasn’t exactly a time for reasonable thinking. “Yes,” he finally said. “Dinner. I would love that.”

Hotch let out a long sigh and reached for the Omega with both hands, wrapping them around his face until his fingers pressed into soft skin. “Good. _Good_. Thank you. I’m going to take you somewhere nice… I’m going to do this properly.” Suddenly there was no doubt in his mind that Reid would be perfect for him. He wasn’t about to confess that out loud, but the thought was there.

“I’ll have to get going now. I need to pick Jack up. You have plenty of food in the kitchen, so eat, okay?” He got up and did his best to ignore Reid’s attempts to cling to him or the way he tilted his head _just so_ in order to expose his neck. Aaron’s hands landed on the man’s cheeks again, just like before, and he drew him close to breathe a soft kiss against his forehead. “There. Sleep, Spencer. I’ll see you at work, hm?”


	4. Okay.

_In a few days_ turned out to be Friday. Spencer had come back to work on Monday, looking much more refreshed and content then he had when Aaron had last seen him. Hotch didn’t let anything on and just gave the young Doctor the concerned glance that every team member got from him after a few days of absence.

By mid morning, they were off onto another case; a local one this time. It made for a nice change that they had the chance to go back to their own homes at night. “That’s it, guys,” Hotch announced when they kept running into the same wall over and over again by 9 pm. “Go home and get some rest. We’ll meet here first thing tomorrow morning.” _Try not to dream about dismembered bodies,_ he added mentally when he saw their faces. Nodding, he sent them all off with a wave of his hand.

Collecting the files that were laying around, he didn’t notice Reid in the doorway until he looked up a few moments later. There was an expression of such deep longing on the Omega’s face, that it knocked the breath out of Hotch for a while. He knew that feeling- because he had felt exactly the same ever since he had left the man’s flat a few days ago. The unit chief wasn’t especially keen on going home by himself either, but they didn’t need to get caught up in any of this while they worked this case.

“Go home, Spencer. Get some sleep.” The order was said in his typical strict-but-concerned tone of voice, but after half a second he added, “Have you eaten today?” The corners of his mouth twitched upwards a bit when his question was met with a single nod. “I…” Spencer shook his head, apparently changing his mind about whatever he had been about to say. “I wanted to thank you for leaving something for me over the weekend. It was nice not to have to worry about… that.”

Hotch kept his eyes trained on the table in front of him so Reid wouldn’t see the way he frowned. If it were up to him (and maybe it would be, if he didn’t ruin everything later this week) Spencer wouldn’t have to worry about something as trivial as having to cook for himself after a heat again. Instead he shook his head and smiled tightly. “It was nothing, Spencer. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

 

Looking back on that specific moment between them a few days later, Aaron saw that he could have handled the situation a lot better. He signed off the last of the team’s reports on the last case. Friday, around noon, and the only things on his mind were Spencer Reid and those poor women who had met such a nasty end. Closing his eyes, Hotch closed the file with a sense of satisfaction.

Friday. Spencer. His eyes snapped back open immediately. The bullpen was deserted, except for a few agents in a corner, and Spencer at his desk. It was just like him to stay in to have his lunch at his desk while the rest of the team had taken off to have a longer lunch. Hotch grabbed his coffee mug and slowly made his way down.

“Hey, Hotch.” Reid looked up with a slight look of trepidation, but now that their case was over, he looked much more at ease. “Are you headed out for lunch?” It took the older man a second too long to understand what he was asking. His eyes widened… No way. Spencer thought _this_ would be their date? He coughed to hide his laugh and shook his head. “No, I have still a pile of files sitting on my desk.”

The disappointment on the Omega’s face was almost too much to bear for the Alpha. Looking around the office, he made sure that the other agents were busy before he leaned against Reid’s desk. “Spencer, did you think the date I plan to take you on would be this – lunch?” A soft nod almost broke his heart. “No, Spencer, just… no. I would hope that I am better than that. No, as a matter of fact I _know_ that I am better than that. So, what are your plans for tonight?”

“I don’t have any plans for tonight.” The man’s _I almost never have_ remained unspoken between them. Aaron smiled – that rare, genuine smile that almost no one at work got to see from him anymore these days. “Well, now you have plans. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

 

Hotch congratulated himself on the decision to change into a less formal (but much more flattering!) suit without a tie later on. The tie would probably have strangled him with how tight his throat felt. There was nothing to be nervous about. This was Spencer, sweet, caring, geeky Spencer. Who had begged him to see him through his heat. Alright, so there had been that, but aside from it…

He parked the car in front of Spencer’s building and went inside with as much calm as he could muster. Dates. Not his area; not anymore. He sighed and knocked twice. As soon as his eyes fell on Reid, he knew that he had made the right decision. The Omega looked stunning in his grey three piece suit (Hotch had no trouble admitting that he was a sucker for those) and met the Alpha with a shy smile. “You look fantastic, Spencer.” Aaron grinned and reached for the other man’s hand.

While they made their way to his car, he let Spencer rattle off a few statistics and facts about this or that. Holding the passenger door open for him, Hotch silenced him with a kiss to his cheek. “I was nervous, too, you know.” Apparently that did the job for a good two minutes. “You were?”

Hotch started the car and nodded. “Yes, right up until the moment you opened the door.” Spencer’s eyes watched him curiously. “What happened then?” Aaron chuckled softly. “I saw you, of course. Spencer, it’s not like this… whatever this is, is very new. We’ve been doing this little dance for months now. And after what I saw this weekend I am just not willing to wait any longer. So, really…” “Tonight is just a formality?” Reid finished hopefully.

Hotch stayed quiet for a few seconds as he parked the car. They could easily have walked the distance, actually. “Yes,” he agreed. “I think it would be safe to say that.”

Spencer was up in his space, face pressed into his neck, before Aaron had any chance to say a word. His curious frown turned into a smile as he let the Omega scent him. “We have a reservation in there, Spencer. And I’d really like to make sure that you get something to eat.” Spencer pulled back and looked at him with a tender smile. “Nurturing already?” “Any Alpha should always be nurturing… you’re mocking me, aren’t you?” He sighed at the grin on the man’s face and got out of the car with a soft laugh. “It’s in my nature.” Spencer wrapped his arm around Hotch’s waist and nodded. “Yes, of course it is, and you won’t ever hear me complaining about it.”

Surprisingly enough conversation came easy to them. It was light and playful; exactly as a first date should be. They couldn’t always help themselves, though, sometimes one of them reached a hand out to the other, or both at the same time. There was a lot of giggling and smiling until their cheeks hurt. Reid had just wrapped both of his hands around one of Aaron’s and beamed up at him. “So, be honest with me, what _did_ you think when you found me under your desk?”

Aaron sat back and thought about that odd Saturday morning. “I was… amazed. And terrified. I _am_ an Alpha.” “The most disciplined, and in control Alpha in the Bureau, Aaron.” “But an Alpha nonetheless,” he insisted before he continued. “And besides, I’ve had an eye on you for years now. Obviously I’m not the only one in the department, but of all those, I certainly am the one closest to you professionally. So, yes, it would be quite safe to say that it was terrifying to find you like that. And beautiful, of course. I’m not ashamed to admit that.”

Hotch was more than pleased when he found a blushing Omega in front of him as he looked up again. “Well, you did ask.” Reid cleared his throat nervously. “Yes, I did ask. Thank you for that. I wasn’t aware that anyone was interested in me.” The Alpha could only shake his head at Spencer’s obliviousness. “Only you could miss all the glances.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe they just never mattered.” Silence fell between them for a few minutes. It was as if they were afraid to say anything else lest they might ruin the last statement. Finally Hotch had to admit that their evening was coming to an end. “It’s getting late,” he murmured. “Let’s get you home.”

Where their drive to the restaurant had been nice and calm, excited even, the drive back was much more subdued and anxious. It was obvious that neither one of them wanted the evening to be over. As soon as Hotch had parked the car, Spencer turned around in his seat and grabbed the Alpha’s hands. “Please come inside with me,” he said without any preamble. “You left too soon last time. I really, really wasn’t ready for you to leave then, and I’m honestly not ready for this night to be over. No, that came out all wrong, I didn’t mean… that. I just really don’t want to let you go just now, okay?”

The Alpha looked at him with an awestruck expression. “Okay.”


End file.
